Past Shadows
by AegonTheLastDragon
Summary: Two former powers now a shadow of their former glory meet. The choices they make will shape the future.
1. Forgotten Force

Chapter one : Forgotten Force

Dry. that was the only word that could describe how he felt. His life and everything else in this forsaken land was dry. He looked out the window to see the destroyed landscape, well light by the strong sun overhead, before him. It was once a mighty city, he told himself, but the city of El Paso that was before him was a skeleton of its former glory, a sad reminder of what had become of them, the Enclave, and the rest of the world. He was not alive when they were in their glory days but he heard a lot about it from so of the old timers. The Enclave, was the force that would fix this broken world, but the repeated defeats of the Enclave on all fronts put and end to them.

"You should be eating not daydreaming, Captain" First Lieutenant Loset sat across from him with a concerned face.

"Not really hungry, and it taste dry" Dry, yes Dry. he could not escape it the feeling was always around him, as if it was trying to kill him.

"Dry or not you need to eat, you were up almost all night and we have a long day today"

"A long day of nothing for my night of wasted work" he replied he had stayed up all night coming up with plans to he solve the problems they had. "The Major wont even listen to half of the plans i came up with, I don't even know why i bother." The issues that were before them were numerous and deadly. The reactor needed parts replaced, the water filter system is barely holding on, pest keep killing crops in the farm, and most dangerous of them all were slowly dying out. This outpost once held 70 strong, now there is barely 40 of us left. Every generation there are fewer of us to carry on the duties left to us. Even though there is less of us we can barely maintain our numbers, and our supplies are dwindling. To the point where even if a child was born we would not have the means to keep it alive. We are dying.

"He does listen you have to be patient the major has a lot on his plate. He won't be able to make a decision immediately, give it time he will like one of ideas." Loset was trying to reassure him that things would work out. He did not agree, we have been waiting out here for a long time and things only get worse the more time passes. But he knew that there was no point in wasting his breath, arguing with her would not help anyone so he simply nodded and shoved some food in his mouth. They ate in silence.

When the two finished they headed back to the conference room. "Captain Carter, First lieutenant Loset reporting to Major Dean" Carter announced their arrival. Major Dean looked to the pair.

"Come on in have a seat" after addressing them he motions to the others that were present with them to get ready. First Sergeant White and Doctor Sarah Dean, the Major's daughter, were with them this morning while discussing the state that they were in. All stayed silent, waiting for the major to speak first. The major cleared his throat and stood up. The major was getting old Carter analized, he is moving more slowly and resting for longer and longer periods. He is well into his fifties, the once seasoned soldier was now an old bag of bones trying its best to stay together. He will retire soon Carter thought, and then i will be the one that leads us. I just hopes there is still time by then.

" Let us continue to discuss a course of action that will fix the problems we are facing." Major Dean stated in solemn voice" Now if anyone has any good ideas i want to hear them now"

He was staring at Carter as he said this, as if to say that he had to be the one to solve all their problems. Funny thing is that he had, Carter had spent multiple night racking his brain on ways to fix one problem or another and had several viable and legitimate solutions, or so he thought. Carter stood up never breaking eye contact with the major.

"I'm going to restate my earlier plan of recruiting outside forces to bolster our…" before he could finish Major Dean interrupted him.

"We have already gone over this one it will not work. The savages out there can barely speak let alone be useful. And attacking and conquering the nearby settlements won't fix any of our problems. it only make us a target and make us more enemies." Before he could go on Carter interrupted him.

"Sir, if increases our numbers we will be able to stand up to any force that comes our way. Furthermore we will be able to send groups out to gather vital materials and supplies. ANd that also means we will be able to sustain a larger force."

"Silence Carter I will not go over this the savages out there cannot be used your plan will not work moving on to"

"Why can't they be used. If they're stupid that's better it will make them easy to control."

" They are stupid and cannot be trusted, furthermore they will never amount to anything but a group of useless scavengers."

" then why did we lose to the NCR, a group of useless savages beat us to a pulp, and made us run with our tail between our legs. We are the only ones left"

"Shut your mouth" This time first sergeant White butted in. "The NCR a ungrateful savages that stole our glory from us with the help of those Brotherhood Bastards"

"My point is we need a large army and we need to do it now we don't have much time." Carter turned to Sarah " Doctor how long do we have befor the current population is no longer able to support itself?" He know the answer in fact she had stated it at the beginning of the meeting as the reason it was even happening at all in the first place.

"Little less than ten years, fifteen is more likely if we go on an even more strict rationing plan."

"We are dying and i have a way for us to get out of this hole we are in"

"Enough, Carter leave us now." Major Dean looked very tired as if talking was wearing him out.

"Yes, Sir" Carter was furious but he knew he was not going to get any where with this old man today. The room was quiet as Carter slowly walked out of the room. Major Dean took a few minutes to compose himself before continuing the meeting, Loset proposed they send someone to scout the nearby areas for people of talent or valuables. First Sergeant White proposed moving the group somewhere else more hospitable. In the end no clear conclusion was made and the day concluded with no plan of action in sight.


	2. New Fire

Failure. Failure again. Legate Marcius was sitting in his tent by himself. He and his forces had been defeated, and were on the run again. Legate Marcius was drinking some cheap beer that tasted like piss and did nothing to help his mood. The taste of failure was fresh on his tongue, but the beer was not meant to relieve him from the taste but to ward off something more disgusting. He was examining the report and status of his last battle. The data made him take another gulp of his piss beer. "Damn it all." he muttered. He lost more men than he had wanted to. His force was one of the last remaining Legion forces after caesar's defeat at the second battle of Hoover Dam. The other main force still left was Legate Cyprian, who has declared himself as the new caesar. Legate Cyprian was a man of greed and self indulgence, he would not be a good leader and would ruin any chance for the legion to rebuild. That of course Marcius could not allow, their forces battled twice, and twice Marcius lost. The last battle would seem to be the final nail in his coffin.

Legate Marcius lost over 30 men and roughly 20 more were injured. That leaves only 45 men ready for the next battle, that was if there was another battle. It felt like his army would blow away in the wind at any moment. And the last hope for a stable world would die with it. "Damn the NCR" he cursed. How dare they ruin the dream he had. His dream? Marcius had been drinking for a bit, he realized, as he began to remember days of his youth. He had lived in a small tribe in the forests in Arizona. His tribe had been in a constant state of battle with the other tribes of the forest. He was a boy when he saw his father captured and killed. He was powerless to stop them from killing his father and again he was powerless to stop them from stealing his sister and mother. He was barely a man when he got his revenge. But for what, for what reason had he been subjected to the horrors that he faced growing up? It was for nothing, nothing but scraps of food and moments of pleasure. He had his whole world torn from him and got nothing in return but pain. Unlike most of his tribe men Marcius could read and write. He had been taught by his mother, how she knew, he could only guess. But this gift she had given him, that made him the man he was, was now a curse. For through his intelligent mind he could fully grasp just how meaningless his life really was.

Then everything changed, the endless cycle of meaningless violence ended. The Legion came, and with them their power and purpose. Conquest. Plain and simple conquest solved everything. The violent world he lived in had been destroyed by even greater violence. It shook his soul as he watch the legion swallow one tribe after another. Nothing could stop them and It was not for meaningless pleasures or pitiful scraps. It was for ownership and control, The legion had destroyed the past and was forging its own future. That was the legion in his eyes, a force that could right the world. He had done his part, as a slave he showed potential and as commander he showed unwavering determination and skill. He gave his all for the legion and for the man he idolized, his king and his god, caesar. But now he was lost, the purpose he had was dying and his master was dead, and at this rate he would follow suit. Legate Marcius stood up, his shorter stature never gave off the feeling of power, but his presence was domineering to those that stood near him. If anyone could see him now, they would say that he looked like a monster ready to kill. The beer had done little to intoxicate him, however the memories of his past had reignited his soul. He exited his tent and looked out to his men, they were in the middle of changing shifts for watch at the time he ordered. His men are loyal to him and they trusted him with everything, yet he had failed them. His anger was swelling within him. It was directed at none other than himself. "I swear I will give these men the victory they desire. I will not rest until rebuild the Legion into the force that will unify the world.I will stop at nothing and do anything to achieve this or Mars strike me down for I am a failure!" As he swore this on his soul scouts were returning from their mission. As if the god Mars had answered his prayers the scouts had some interesting information.

They rushed over to the legate's tent and kneeled before him. He received their report with astonishment. Legate Marcius looked up to the sky and stood still for a moment. Looking toward the horizon he knew what he needed to do.


End file.
